HOUSTON — Corey Kiner rushed for 129 yards and two touchdowns, Cincinnati piled up 204 rushing yards and the Bearcats earned their first Big 12 win with a 24-14 victory over Houston on Saturday night.
Emory Jones threw for 131 yards and a touchdown for the Bearcats (3-7, 1-6), who snapped a seven-game losing streak.
Jones threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Montgomery in the first quarter, and Kiner rushed for a 1-yard touchdown with eight minutes left in the second to put Cincinnati ahead 14-7. Kiner added a 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that upped the lead to 24-7.
The Bearcats had 368 yards of offense, while holding Houston to 241.
Donovan Smith struggled for Houston (4-6, 2-5), completing 16 of 28 passes for 102 yards and two touchdowns with three interceptions. Smith also rushed for 88 yards on 13 carries. His touchdown passes both went to Joseph Manjack IV, covering 7 and 2 yards.
THE TAKEAWAY
Cincinnati: The Bearcats had pressure on Smith throughout the game and finished with four tackles for loss. Cincinnati has won four straight games against Houston. The Bearcats committed two penalties for eight yards and were 7 for 13 on third downs.
Houston: The Cougars’ chances of becoming bowl eligible took a big hit with the loss. Houston finished 6 for 13 on third downs. The Cougars finished with 10 tackles for loss, including four sacks.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati: The Bearcats travel to play West Virginia on Saturday.
Houston: The Cougars host Oklahoma State on Saturday.
